These two movies, "Ninu Kori" and "Majili," initially elevated the director Shiva Nirvana to new heights in the film industry. However, "Tuck Jagadish" marked a setback in his career. Fortunately, it had an OTT release, which limited the damage to Shiva Nirvana's reputation.
But it appears that "Kushi" is poised to inflict significant harm. Kushi received widespread critical acclaim and media attention, but it failed to resonate with the general audience. From day one, there was a stark divide in public opinion.
Despite having a strong cast that includes Samantha, Vijay Deverakonda, Vennela Kishore, and Rahul Ramakrishna, boasting technical brilliance, great songs, and beautiful locations, the fate of the film ultimately rested in the hands of the director, Shiva Nirvana.
Two key criticisms emerged at the grassroots level regarding Kushi.
Firstly, it lacked an innovative plot or storyline. There is no emotional point that is required for a love story.
Secondly, it attempted to create intense scenes without a strong underlying conflict in the second half, a characteristic more commonly seen in TV serials. Although there were some positives such as the background score and actor performances, these couldn't compensate for these shortcomings.
Despite having impressive songs, all the hit numbers were loaded in the first half, leaving the latter part of the movie heavily reliant on non-musical narrative.
Unfortunately, second half failed to engage the audience, resulting in a perception that the film became tedious and hard to endure. Many viewers were so disconnected from the film that they left before watching the Brahmanandam episode placed at the end, assuming the movie had concluded. The director failed to handle this episode crisply.
A concern that the films facing today is their unpredictability. Once a film gains or loses traction, it becomes difficult to alter its trajectory through marketing efforts alone.
Some have suggested that Shiva Nirvana's mistake was attempting this particular film. Creating stories suitable for serials may no longer be a viable approach.
Small films are tackling different subjects, and the audience's tolerance for boredom has diminished significantly. While some films can get away with having a weak second half, others, like Kushi, face harsh criticism for it.
In hindsight, it appears that Samantha's recent struggles, including the failure of "Sakunthalam" and her over projection of health issues, have negatively impacted her appeal with the audience. Some believe that casting Mrinal Thakur in her role might have yielded different results. However, it's worth noting that Samantha was signed for the movie before revealing her health issues, and Mrinal Thakur's popularity hadn't reached its current level at the time.
Additionally, Vijay Devarakonda's reputation took a hit due to the outcome of "Liger."
While the initial reception of 'Kushi' was described as 'okay,' this level of response is far from ideal for a film of this reputation. Ideally, the film should have generated 100% openings, even in multiplexes. However, this expectation fell short, particularly in multiplexes, and achieving 100% approval in single theaters is not always a realistic benchmark. It's important to note that there may have been some manipulations at play in single theatres.
Two songs, "Na Roja Nuvve" and "Aaradhya," gained immense popularity before the movie's release, generating high anticipation. However, despite the buzz, some who eagerly awaited for the release, ultimately didn't watch it, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the film industry, where timing and fate play significant roles.
Kiran Sharma